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Updated: Dec 10, 2025
A Minimally Invasive Method for Generating a Syngeneic Orthotopic Mouse Model of Lung Cancer
Published on: August 19, 2025
Development of syngeneic murine cell lines for use in immunocompetent orthotopic lung cancer models
Kyle Nolan1, Gregory Verzosa1, Tim Cleaver1
1Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, RC2, Room #9112, Mail stop C272, Aurora, CO 80045 USA.
Background:
Immunocompetent animal models are required to study tumor-host interactions, immunotherapy, and immunotherapeutic combinations, however the currently available immunocompetent lung cancer models have substantial limitations. While orthotopic models potentially help fill this gap, the utility of these models has been limited by the very small number of murine lung cancer cell lines capable of forming orthotopic tumors in immunocompetent C57BL/6 hosts.
Methods:
Primary lung tumors with specific genetic alterations were created in C57BL/6 background mice. These tumors were then passaged through other animals to increase tumorigenicity and select for the ability to grow in a non-self animal. Once tumors demonstrated growth in a non-self host, cell lines were established. Successful cell lines were evaluated for the ability to produce orthotopic lung tumors in immunocompetent hosts.
Results:
We produced six murine lung cancer lines capable of orthotopic lung tumor formation in immunocompetent C57BL/6 animals. These lines demonstrate the expected genetic alterations based on their primary tumor genetics.
Conclusions:
These novel cell lines will be useful for evaluating tumor-host interactions, the impact of specific oncogenic alterations on the tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapeutic approaches. This method of generating murine lines capable of orthotopic growth can likely be applied to other tumors and will broaden the applicability of pre-clinical testing of immunotherapeutic treatment regimens.
